Withdraw restrictions on journalists immediately

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) yesterday expressed deep concern over the restrictions on journalists' access to Bangladesh Bank.

The organisation called for immediate withdrawal of such a move, terming this restriction an unprecedented obstacle in the way of media's professional responsibility in disclosing banking and financial sector information for public interest.

In a written statement, TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman said the restrictions are an unethical and arbitrary step in the way of ensuring people's legal right to know information.

He questioned what message the top leadership of Bangladesh Bank wants to send to everyone by deciding to stop the free flow of information when the banking sector is plagued by various crises, including bad loans, financial fraud, and lack of good governance.

"Is this initiative taken to hide the information of their own failure to bring good governance to the banking sector or is it an attempt to protect the interests of those who are responsible for the crises in this sector?" the statement said.

In recent years, most information about financial sector scandals has been published in the public interest, with the majority coming from media workers' open access to Bangladesh Bank, it added.

Iftekharuzzaman also questioned whether it should be assumed that the central bank is working to ensure the continued protection of the criminal circles involved in the irregularities in this sector.